Plant Guide

Hedgehog rose

Rosa 'Frau Dagmar Hastrup'

This choice rose has single, gently cupped light-pink flowers that exude an intense, clove-scented perfume. It blooms in spring and sporadically throughout the season, and produces red hips. In autumn, the foliage turns deep maroon, which changes to yellow tinged with coppery highlights. It grows to 3 to 4 feet high and wide.

Noteworthy Characteristics: Rugosa roses have thorny branches and attractive, distinctively wrinkled leaves. (The species takes its name from the Latin word rugosus, meaning "full of wrinkles".) They grow well in mixed borders, hedges, and as specimens, and are tolerant of harsh conditions, including salt spray, wind, and poor soil.

Care: Grow in fertile, moist, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Provide good air circulation and remove fallen leaves to help prevent disease. In late winter or early spring, prune lightly or back by up to 1/3, reducing side shoots by 1/2 to 1/3. To renovate, prune one in four or five shoots from the base.

Propagation: Take softwood cuttings when bloom initiates in spring to summer; take hardwood cuttings in fall.